Jewish History with Rabbi Dr. Dovid Katz

הַפְטָרַת פָּרָשַׁת מַטּוֹת-מַסְּעֵי (בֵּין הַמְּצָרִים) - The Broken Cisterns 09.07.2026 26:30 ↓

You abandoned land which contained a natural spring of fresh water for arid land supplied by collected rainwater only to find the cistern which was supposed to hold the water had a leak!

Henry (Tzvi Hirsh) Gersoni 1844-1897: a story of בְּנוֹת מוֹאָב and בַּעַל פְּעוֹר in Czarist Russia 08.07.2026 42:28 ↓

בַּעַל הַ"מוֹדֶה וְעוֹזֵב יְרֻחָם"

פָּרָשַׁת מַטּוֹת- מַסְּעֵי תשפ"ו - The Massacre of the Midianites 06.07.2026 35:44 ↓

The peculiar moral characteristics of a "War of Revenge" - נְקֹם נִקְמַת בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל מֵאֵת הַמִּדְיָנִים

Some reflections on בֵּין הַמְּצָרִים in light of Current Events 05.07.2026 28:36 ↓

What does רשב"ג mean when he says (שבת י"ג ע"ב) אֵין אָנוּ מַסְפִּיקִין?

Shiva Assar B’Tammuz and other events, such as July 4, 1776! And July 15, 1099 02.07.2026 26:52 ↓

The Fall of Jerusalem to the Crusaders in 1099 and the accompanying massacres of Jews

הַפְטָרַת שַׁבַּת פִּינְחָס (בֵּין הַמְּצָרִים) - Jeremiah is from the non-corrupt, banished, kohanim 01.07.2026 30:11 ↓

His Divinely-ordained career of musar and tochechah begins in the middle of King Josiah's radical (and unpopular!) campaign to exterminate idols in the Kingdom of Judah

Parshas Pinchas: Pinchas criticizes Hashem and is rewarded by Hashem for it 30.06.2026 30:01 ↓

Were the 24,000 who perished Jews? Or erev rav?

The Tosfos Shantz: Rabbi Samson of Sens (1150-1211), Pt. 3 30.06.2026 47:34 ↓

How were the Crusader-Related events in Eretz Yisroel that took place in the 12th century interpreted by the Baalei Tosfos and their Jewish contemporaries? As עִקְבְתָא דִּמְשִׁיחָא!

Haftarah Chukas-Balak: Micah's hortatory message 26.06.2026 22:37 ↓

What exactly is הַצְנֵעַ לֶכֶת עִם אֱלֹהֶיךָ?

Parshas Balak: Balak's Grand Strategy 24.06.2026 27:34 ↓

Bil'am the spinmeister could have (through his rhetorical skills) united the various kingdoms into an anti=Jewish Alliance...

More on the Abarbanel's commentary on the מורה נבוכים: Giving Exodus 24 the "Companton Treatment" 23.06.2026 29:12 ↓

What is the difference between the זִקְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל and the אֲצִילֵי בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל?

Parshas Chukas-Balak: Reading the story in conjunction with the account in Deuteronomy 22.06.2026 33:51 ↓

The survey of the Ohr HaChaim of the opinions re: the sin of Moses and his critique of all of the opinions

הָרַשְׁבָּ"א בַּעַל הַתּוֹסָפוֹת - הר"ש מִשַּׂאנְץ - Rabbi Samson of Sens (1150-1214) Part 2 21.06.2026 1:01:53 ↓

The ר"ש מִשַּׂאנְץ as a participant in The Maimonidean Controversies of the late 12th century. His sober and balanced approach.

Hadran on Yerushalmi Yoma on My Mother's 18th yahrzeit (2 Tamuz) 18.06.2026 28:48 ↓

The Controversial Quadripartite Atonement Scheme of R Ishmael & Co. Historically Considered

Haftarah Korach: Samuel's reaction to rejection 16.06.2026 32:36 ↓

Was it an insulting dumping of a righteous prophet? Or was it rather a legitimate concern re: who would take-over after the prophet's death?

הָרַשְׁבָּ"א בַּעַל הַתּוֹסָפוֹת - הר"ש מִשַּׂאנְץ - Rabbi Samson of Sens (1150-1214) Part 1 15.06.2026 55:07 ↓

The Third of the Three Great Rabbis who produced the Tosafos

Parshas Korach: Was Moshe good at debate and repartee? From the story of Korach it does not seem so 14.06.2026 23:26 ↓

Does כְּבַד פֶּה mean Moshe had a speech impediment? Or does it mean he was not quick and sharp in political give-and-take?

Alharizi as an observer of the Maimonidean Controversies of the 13th century (it is not boring) 14.06.2026 45:18 ↓

The interesting arguments between the 13th century Hebrew Translators of the מוֹרֵה נְבוֹכִים

The Ri HaZaken- Rabbi Isaac Meir of Danpierre, Mister Tosafaos! 14.06.2026 1:00:09 ↓

The man who converted 12th C. Fench Lomdus into Tosafos

Haftarah Shelach: Joshua and Rachav 10.06.2026 25:59 ↓

Taking seriously the concept of גֵּר שֶׁנִּתְגַּיֵּר כְּקָטָן שֶׁנּוֹלַד דָּמֵי

The Rashba on the possibility or impossibility of נְבוּאָה בַּזְּמַן הַזֶּה Part 2 09.06.2026 30:14 ↓

The bizarre denouement in 1295

Parshas Shelach: The מַעְפִּילִים and how not to repent 09.06.2026 24:47 ↓

The impetus to do תְּשׁוּבָה comes from the יֵצֶר טוֹב but the יֵצֶר הָרַע often inserts itself in the implementation of the repentance

Haftarah BeHaaloscha: The Political Meaning of the Prophetic Vision of the Golden Menorah 04.06.2026 22:51 ↓

When G-d so disposes, even enemies of the Jews come to their aid

Parshas BeHaaloscha: Moses the Non-Tyrant 03.06.2026 33:26 ↓

Also, why did he marry the Cushite woman at this particular time?

The Rashba on the possibility or impossibility of נְבוּאָה בַּזְּמַן הַזֶּה 02.06.2026 35:08 ↓

From the case of the מְשִׁיחַ שֶׁקֶר of Avila (in 13th century Spain)